Combined letter-file and press-copy book



. ,2 Sheet sV-Sheet 1. M. E. STEPHENSON; OOMBINED LETTER FILE AND PRESS GOPY BOOK;

No. 523,754. Patented JulyBl, 1894..

(No Model.)

(No Model.)"'

2 Sheets-Sheet 2; M. E. STEPHENSON. A COMBINED LETTER FILE AND PRESS COPY BOOK.

Patented July 31, 1894.

UNITED S TES PATENT QFEICE.

MILTON E. STEPHENSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMBlNED .LETTER-YFILE'AND PRESS-COPY BOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 523,754, dated July 31, 1894.

Application filed March 14, 1894- Serial No. 503.657- (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON E. STEPHENSON, of the city of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in a Combined Letter-File and Pres- (Jopy Book, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawlngs, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its obj act to construct and arrange a combined letter tile and presscopy book.

In accordance with this invention'the presscopy book is constructed of numerous pages of ordinary thin press-copy paper, secured together in folios in any usual manner, and said folios are then connected together by elastic 1 strips or otherwise, and the whole bound in any usual manner except that the back bindlng 1s made wider than usual to permit of expansion of said elastic strips, and thereby permit separation of the pages. A suitable index is provided for the book.

The letters to be filed are placed between the pages of the book, and a clamp is provided for holding them in place. As the letters are inserted the elastic strips expand for their accommodation.

The letters may be placed between the pages of the book opposite the press copies of the replies, or if said letters are replies to previously written letters then they may be placed opposite the originals. I

Both lette'rsand press copies will be indexed, using however a. single index for both, and

thereby a very convenient file is obtained for.

reference.

Figure 1, shows in perspective a combined,

letter file and press-copy book embodying this invention, open to show a press-copy and also a letter properly filed; Fig. 2,, a similar view of the book opened at the first page or thereabout; Fig.3, a detail showing a clamp which I prefer to employ, and Fig. 4, a rear view of the book, showing the elastic strips connecting the folios together; Fig. 5, a similar view enlarged and Fig. 6, a similar view to Fig.5, with the elastic strips expanded.

The book comprises numerous pages a of thin paper capable of receiving press copi es of letters, said pages being grouped together in folios 12. Several of these folios b are then ing of elastic strips 0 laid upon and loosely connected with non-elastic strips d, said nonelastic strips being made as long as required for the expansion of the elastic strips, yet subserving the purpose of limiting said expansion that undue strain may not be brought to bear upon said elastic strips. When the folios b are laid one upon another said non-elastic strips will be more or less puckered. The folios 1), thus connected together, are then bound together with a suitable index, preferably an ordinary single index, in any desirable way, except that the back binding 6 is made much wider than usual to compen-' sate for the separation of the pages permitted by said elastic strips. 7

The letters f to be filed are place'd between the pages of the book, which causes the separation of said pages above referred to. These letters will be placed opposite or against the replies thereto,'or if they are replies to letters previously written by the owner of the book they may be placed opposite or against the original press-copies, and all of'the letters as well as press-copies will be indexed by or upon the single index.

To hold the letters firmly in placeI provide a letter-holding clamp preferably madespring acting and while it is obvious that many diferent forms may be employed without departconnected together by binding strips consisting from the spirit of this invention, the particular form herein shown possesses the advantages of simplicity of construction as well as ease in operation.

Referring to Fig. 3, the clamp consists essentially of four wires i, 2", t t the wires 2' and z" are each bent at right angles as at 2, 3, and said right angular ends of each wire may be slightly offset if desired. These wires are laid side by side andat the middle are each bent so as to cross each other at 4. Suitable.

clips 5 are provided for binding the wires together, yet permitting a slight rotary or twisting movement or action thereof. The rightangular ends 2,- of the wire 11 are joined to the right angular ends 3, ofthe wire '5', by the parallel wires 1?, i thereby forming a two part Ice clamp which may be opened like a hinge by twisting the wires, and said parts are sepa-' rated against the spring action which is inherent to the wires 'b, 'b'. The connection between the wire i and the right angular ends 2, 3, may be permanent if desired, while the connection between the wire 1' and the right angular ends 2, 3, is detachable, that is at the point 6 of the wire l is pivotally connected with the right angular end 2 while its opposite end has a hook 7 which engages the extremity of the right angular end 2. This clamp is made a little longer than the height of the pages of the book so that when placed therein with the crossed wires 1', t", at the rear of the binding, the right-angular end portions will appear just beyond the upper and lower edges of the pages, and the wire 11 will bear upon the first page or thereabout, while the wire 2' will bear upon the last letter'introduced or thereabout, so that between the clamping portions all the pages between which letters have been placed will be firmly held. It will be noticed that no springs are necessary when using this particular form of clamp, and hence no provision is necessary for the accommodation of such spring.

In using the book the wire i will remain permanently bearing upon the first or one of the first pages of the book, while the wire 71 will be carried along from page to page as the book is filled with letters, and hence it is detachably connected with the right-angular end portions as shown.

I claim- 1. In a combined letter file and press copy book, the combination of a book having an eXpan sible back,with aclamp one side of which is held between the backs of the pages of the book and the cover thereof, said clamp comprising two spring acting frames substantially rectangular in form, connected together at one side, and the opposite side of one of said frames consisting of an arm pivoted at one end and detachably held at the other end, substantially as described. a

2. In a combined letter file and press copy book, the combination of a book having numerouspagessecured together,expansibleand non expansible strips connecting the backs of said pages and permitting of separation, with a clamp held between the backs of the pages of the book and the cover thereof, said clamp comprising two spring acting frames substantially rectangular in form, connected together at one side, and the opposite side of one of said frames consisting of an arm pivotally connected at one end and detachably held at the other end, substantially as described.

3. A clamp for books, comprising two spring acting frames substantially rectangular in form connected together at oneside, and the opposite side of one of said frames consisting of an arm pivotally connected at one end and detachably held at the" other end, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MnI roN E. STEPHENSON.

Witnesses:

BERNICE J. NoYEs, FLORENCE I-L DAVIS. 

